A Pocket Guide to  
                      EFT  
           (Emotional Freedom 
                 Techniques)  
                           
        for Addiction Treatment,  
         Self-Help and Recovery 
                           
           How to use EFT for relief from  
           addictive cravings, withdrawal 
            symptoms, anxiety, pain and  
                 upsetting memories 
                           
                                       
                           
                   Masha Bennett 
       
          
                                  “Addictive behaviour is the mind-
                                 body’s normal and natural response   
                                    to the pathology of sobriety” 
                                         (Gregory Bateson) 
          
          
         What is EFT? 
         The Emotional Freedom Techniques are a group of brief 
         therapeutic     interventions    and     self-help    tools, 
         sometimes known as “acupuncture without needles” or 
         “tapping therapy”. EFT brings together the principles of 
         traditional   Chinese    medicine,    neuroscience      and 
         cognitive-behavioural therapy by combining stimulation 
         of  a  series  of  acupressure  points  with  cognitive 
         restructuring  (specially  worded  affirmations),  typically 
         leading  to  shifts  in  thought  patterns  and  relief  from 
         both physical tension and excess negative emotions. 
           
         Table 1. Uses of EFT in addiction recovery 
           Reducing / eliminating addictive cravings          
           Alleviating withdrawal symptoms                    
           Managing anxiety, fear, grief, anger               
           Relieving physical pain and tension                
           Modifying unhelpful beliefs                        
           Healing past trauma                                
           Enhancing sense of control and self-efficacy       
           Reducing risk of relapse                           
           Day-to-day emotional & stress management           
         How does EFT work? 
         There are several explanations of how EFT works. The 
         creator  of  the  technique  and  many  practitioners 
         attribute its effect to balancing the energy in meridians, 
         as in acupuncture, in relation to a specific problem.  
          
         Some neurological explanations for its efficacy  include 
         balancing     the    activity    of   parasympathetic        and 
         sympathetic  branches  of  our  nervous  system,  and 
         facilitating “adaptive information processing”. The areas 
         of  skin  associated  with  acupressure  points  contain  a 
         high  concentration  of  mechanoreceptors,  and  brain 
         scans of people whose acu-points are stimulated show 
         the limbic (emotional)  part of the brain being impacted 
         by  EFT  -  including  the  amygdala,  which  plays  an 
         important part in addictive and compulsive behaviours.  
          
                                       Research      is    ongoing      to 
         “EFT brings immediate         evaluate  the  efficacy  of  EFT, 
         results. It makes me          but thousands of case studies 
         feel in control and           have already been published. 
         independent, increases        Numerous           professionals,  
         faith and confidence in       clients  and  members  of  the 
         myself and my                 general  public  are  reporting 
         abilities. It is a tool I     profound      and     long-lasting 
         can use anywhere… it 
         is simple, but so             benefits     of    EFT     as     a 
         powerful.” (J. S.)            therapeutic  intervention  and  
                                       a self-help tool.  
          
                                                                       
         EFT Procedure for Self-help 
         In this pocket guide I will describe a modified version of 
         the original “EFT Basic Recipe”. One “round” or cycle of 
         EFT would usually take just a minute or two, and can be 
         repeated a number of times until  relief from a craving, 
         tension, pain or negative emotion is achieved. 
          
         Step 1 - Awareness. Become aware of the problem 
         you would like to work on. Notice any unpleasant bodily 
         sensations, any tension, anxiety, or negative thoughts. 
         Describe what is bothering you concisely but specifically 
         – for example, “alcohol craving”, “thudding headache”, 
         “worry  about  tomorrow’s  interview”,  “anger  at  Joe 
         Bloggs  for  not  ringing  me”.  Rate  the  problem  on  the 
         scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the mildest, and 10 is the 
         highest intensity of the problem.